Questions and Stories about Empty Nest and Retirement

Listed below is the compilation of all of the questions and stories that retirees and those with an empty nest have asked, shared, or submitted as a response to our national writing contest. Topics range from education, to money, to relationships, to health, and many more in between. Do you have a story to share about your experiences being retired or adjusting to an empty nest? Click the "Share Your Story" button to add your voice to StageofLife.com!

Read Empty Nest and Retirement Questions and Stories

Only minutes after 2 year old Kevin’s diagnosis as a person with autism (PWA) I questioned: “Who’ll take care of him when we are gone?” We agreed that as soon as the right placement came along for him, we’d accept it. But the likelihood was that there’d be no spot until we were well into old age. We went to work on creating the life he needed.

Following were a stream of stressors: locating a home program for preschool PWA (special education rights run from ag

Her name is Emily Moxey, and she inspired and transformed the lives of the children in her Life Skills Class. Her students were in the 5th – 8th grade, and all were diagnosed with severe intellectual disabilities. Often, students in her class also had serious physical disabilities. Ms. Moxey opened her classroom door – and the door to the outside world – wide for them.

She worked down the hall from me, and I tried to visit her classroom whenever I could. When the challenges in my job

I think this is a question every person living with an older parent or relative asks themselves. We grapple with the thought we can take care of them no matter what…we would never subject anyone to those ghastly homes where all the old people are housed together. Horror stories are reported about the abuse that goes on, leaving a loved one there to rot away. No telling how bad the food is, let alone helping the person get to the

When people reach their Golden Years, have struggled to work to build their character and their reputation, does jealousy cause a barrage of lies, slander and cyberbulling? They have worked all of their lives, enjoyed many good life experiences, maybe been honored and now they are closer to the end of their life than they were 60 years ago, but, some person with jealousy wants to destroy everything they have worked for. Jealousy can cause the most horrible of made up lies from a known or unkno

Did you see the news about the Great Dane in Portland, Oregon, that ate 43-1/2 socks (the half sock was a mystery)? It made me think of Nike--not the company, the dog.

Nike was a large, sweet, handsome Belgian Shepherd owned by Bob Hoffman, owner of Playland, an amusement park, which recently closed, in Upstate New York. Many moons ago, we often took our daughters there for the arcade, rides or miniature golf; or if we were without the girls, my husband, my hero, sometimes inv

As each day goes by, I am asked whether I remembered to take care of the chores that burden my life. In this Independent Living set up where I live, it is anything but independent. For every request, there is a form which must be filled out in a timely manner; their time, not mine.

As part of the aging process, I gave up my car--a big mistake. Ironically, most of the approved drivers are older than I. My hearing is good, and I am only slightly near-sighted, which is more than

As one of the Stage of Life Editors keeping an eye out for products and services that can be of assistance to Baby Boomers, I came across the company Wearever. With more Boomers taking care of their aging parents, not to mention aging themselves, the often taboo topic of incontinence is something not everyone is comfortable talking about.

Because of that, we asked Wearever to share their thoughts about this issue in the hopes that it'll help those of you dealing with it, either with

I am Leonardo. As I live on a small island, the title of my blog is “Stories of an Islander”. I was born in summer of 42. So now I am 70 and I invite you to read my blog.

For a change there is no business connected to my blog. My passion is writing and my aim is to tell stories which happened and are still happening directly or indirectly to me and my family. Mind you I am just an ordinary man, nothing spectacular……I am not a politician or an astronaut and I am not telling you how t

As an obese, aging Baby Boomer with more than a few years of experience (and pounds) under my belt, I thought identity crises were behind me. After years of ups and downs with my weight, I'd enjoyed ten or more years of blissfully ignoring my body, eating what I wanted, staying happy with myself in spite of the extra pounds. After years of struggle, yo-yo dieting, creeping weight gain, and disgust with my own body, I found peace. It didn't happen overnight, but I came to the conclusion that

I sit here with my mother-in-law, who is 91 years old, as she sleeps with the soft hum of the oxygen machine in the background. We were talking a moment ago about facing our death. My husband died two years ago of colon cancer and had great pain which he bore with quietness and dignity. She was expressing her desire that she could have the strength to bear pain and discomfort in a like manner. She is really a love, and does not complaint greatly. Her challenge right now is she has Congesti

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StageofLife.com was launched in 2009 as the premier destination for people of all ages to find information, coupons, and stories about one of ten key stage of life transitions: high school, college, on my own, wedding, married without children, having a baby, home ownership, parenting, grand parenting, and empty nest/retirement. Nearly 1 million visitors come to the site each year to find information about their stage of life. Stage of Life users (teens, college students, Millennials, Gen Y, Gen X, and Baby Boomers) can also share and archive their life stories via their Stage of Life profile page. Specialized content includes statistics, quotes, videos, financial tips, coupons, news, writing contests, and more tailored to each of the 10 life stages featured. My Life Rewards® is the free discount program for all Stage of Life users, readers and writers dedicated to providing printable coupons and coupon codes tailored towards each stage of life.